At first you might baulk. Complain. Resist ala Baby in Dirty Dancing. But it works . . .

Poetry Challenge #116

Prompt Time

Writing from a prompt pushes you to write fast and helps you free your mind. Get your notebook or computer ready and set your timer. Below is a one-line prompt.

No one tells me what to do…

You use the prompt as your first line of a poem, your last line, or a line in the middle. Read it and then write as fast as you can.

Ready . . .

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over eight years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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(If you were relieved to read that, then the joke is on me.)

Speaking of jokes, while clicking around for some prank I could play today (that wasn’t cruel or difficult), I came upon these definitely sound like pranks, but are they???

For now, though, let’s set “Velveeta” hair color aside (as if we could), and focus on my news. (Hopefully you’ll find it inspiring?)…

RAINBOW KITE could really, really, really use your help (and so could I). If you are willing to write a review and post in on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, etc. I’ll send you a digital copy of the book to review. Send me a note!

And now, the answer to the big question of the day: Are those products fake or real?

I had absolutely nothing to do with these products*, finding them or gather the info—it’s from a post by Ariana Losch published in Sporked “Out to Be Real” (And the joke seems to be on me as the image on my screen isn’t showing the whole article excerpt.) I Hope it is on yours. But if not, click to read the article.

*I did a quick search for the Doctor Pepper TicTacs, they are available on line.

Spring, and out-of-the-box ideas, and Kites—That’s Inspiring!

Think “knitting” and an image of the “quiet old lady whispering ‘hush’” springs to many a mind. But that’s bunk. All sort of folks knit. All ages and stages. And it’s not just about yarn (although yarns are told.)

Knitting is such a useful word. In the same way yarn becomes sweaters, wounds knit back together. Families are closely knit. Brows knit in consternation or contemplation. Thoughts knit together become ideas, just as words knit together can be poetry.

In Merriam-Webster speak, knitting is “a series of connected loops,” so that’s where we’ll begin.

Poetry Challenge #115

Knit Wits

Close your eyes and write down the first word that pops into your mind. One word. That word will be the title of your poem.

Next, quickly list words that you associate with your word.  From that list, choose the best five.

Take a moment to reorder those five words into a sort of pattern that makes sense to you.

Let’s use our wits to knit those words together to create a poem.

For our first effort, we’ll use a simple knit one, purl two pattern. Consider those five words to be your “knit” stitches. The “purl” part of our poem will be modifiers. Let’s get knitting!

Write your first “knit” word. Below it “purl” two modifiers. Below that purl, write your next “knit” word, then “purl” two; continue in this knit one-purl two pattern until you come to the end of your word list. Just like that you’ve knitted a 10-line poem.

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than eight years ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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User Error is such a useful term. At one and the same time it blames and forgives:

“Yes, I did it, but it wasn’t my fault.”

Poetry Challenge #114

User Error

Think back on a time when you’ve had a system malfunction? A SNAFU? A mess up? A day, event, moment when you dropped the ball: BONG BONG BONG (If you haven’t ever had one on those times, make one up.)

Take a moment to dreg up all the miserable, embarrassing, nauseating, gut-wrenching details. Allow yourself to wallow in the misery for one more minute.

Write a poem about that time. Try not to rhyme. Not to spell correctly. Not to sound pleasant. Let it be harsh and raw—try breaking the lines in odd places. It other words: write a lousy poem.

End it with those two huge words: USER ERROR!

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge….dang, I forget how long ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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J. Wellington Whimpy, as any Popeye fan knows, would do just about anything for a hamburger. Parisians rioted over the lack of break, likewise so did Starbuck fans during a recent run on Pumpkin Latte (not really), but, I imagine they would. Cindy’s weakness is lobster. Mine (in case you’re gifting) is salted caramel. What’s your favorite food?

Poetry Challenge #113

One Must Ask Children and Birds

“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste”— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Pick a food that begins with a consonant (not a, e, i, o, or u). Can you think of other foods that begin with the same letter? List 5-10 foods that begin with the same letter. Next, list 3-10 foods that end with that letter. Then, list 3-10 foods that have that letter in the middle. Finally, list 3 verbs and 3 adjectives that have to do with food and contain your letter. 

The repetition of a consonant sound is called alliteration. Many times tongue twisters are made from these repeated sounds. Use words from all your lists to write an alliterative list poem. Read it aloud and see if it trips your tongue.

Set your mind to channel FOOD

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Start writing!

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge way too many meals ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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When we were about twelve, my friend Theresa and I closed ourselves in a music room at CSULB (where my mom was working on her Master’s Degree) and played over and over and over—her on sax, me on piano—the opening phrases of the song Ruthann Friedman song Windy. You know the one:

Whose peekin’ out from under a stairway/ callin’ a name that’s lighter than air?/ whose bending down to give me a rainbow? /everyone knows it’s Windy./ Whose trippin’ down the streets . . .

over and over . . . Theresa and I only stopped when the guy in the next room knocked.

Turned out, he too played a sax. We only wished we could. . .

Said to emote a sound reminiscent of “the echo of an echo” . . .  a resonance “situated at the edge of silence,” the saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s (patented in 1846.) Sax only received a 15-year patent for the sax (immediately others began copying his design). Sax’s sax however was the first.

Poetry Challenge #112

Bend it like Adolphe . . . Sax that is!

In honor of Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone and several other sax-ish instruments (saxhorn, saxotromba, saxtuba). His saxophone is often described as being “the closest instrumental match to the human voice.” An instrument whose tone (and I write “whose” purposefully) can, in talented hands, mimic human voice inflection.

In preparation for this prompt, Listen to a Saxophone play. This post highlights “The 20 Greatest Saxophonists of All Times” with clippings of each playing.

And now for the poem:

Let your mind wander as you listen. Where does the music take you? How does it make you feel? What does it make you feel?

Or, look at the saxophone itself, it’s shape. And ask yourself, if a saxophone were an animal, which animal would it be?

Draw on these saxophone images and feelings to write a Saxophonic poem.

Set your mind on “Cool”

Set your timer for 7 minutes

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

FYI: The child of Belgian instrument makers, Adolphe Sax is credited with having, by the age of 14, invented at least invented about 9 instruments. For more on Adolphe Sax, including why he was nicknamed “Little Sax, the ghost,” read on:  

“Meet Adolphe Sax: The Badass Who Invented The Saxophone And Cheated Death 7 Times” by Andrew Milne, Sept 5, 2019. 

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge so many solos ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Back in my sleep-over camp-out nights, with the campfire crackling and tossing spooky shadows, the wind howling and tree branches scraping on the tent, we used to make scary spookier still with a game called

Yikes!

Things that go bump in the night. . . Scary, right?

Scary how a simple bump sound—in the right setting at the right time—sends tingles, quivers, hair-raising heebie-jeebies shivers chasing up our spines.

Oooooohhhhh CREAK

SCRATCH EEK

EEK YOWL

HOWL

Mwahaha

SCREECH SCRITCH

WHAT’S THAT NOISE . . .

Thump THWACK

thwaaaaaaaaaa

It is said that everyone fears the same thing—the Unknown. Thus, the secret to writing scary is not what you write—but what you leave out.

“Readers will imagine the rest, filling in the gaps with whatever scares them most,” noted Nocturium in a post**.  

Which takes me right back to those spine-tingling sounds. Let’s give it a Gooo—GH!

Poetry Challenge #111

One Dark and Storm . . . YIKES!

Write a scary poem.

Now, make it even scarier still by replacing specifics with sounds words.

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Don’t think about it too much;

See if you can scare yourself silly!

**For more spooky stuff here’s a great post: How to Write a Scary Story on the Nocturim

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge a terrifying number of days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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It is said that the Boston Cream Pie was invented in Boston—hence the name. More specifically, “In 1856, at Boston’s Parker House Hotel, French chef Monsieur Augustine Francois Anezin created this pudding and cake combination.” It was declared the official dessert of Massachusetts in 1996. (In case you need cause to celebrate, Oct 23rd is National Boston Creme Pie Day!)

Poetry Challenge #110

Boston Creme Pie . . . Oh My!

I don’t live in Boston or in Massachusetts. And I can’t say whether I love Boston Cream Pie. But from the looks of it, I think I might—I do love Boston Cream donuts—And looking at those yellow cake layers, that creamy custard y-pudding filling, the smooth chocolate icing. Yum!

What might the official dessert of your town be if YOU got to name it?

Write a poem describing your dessert. Make our mouths water just thinking about it!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it!

Afterwards, celebrate with Boston Creme Pie! Here’s a recipe.

P.S. I looked it up. For what it’s worth, the chef who created the first Boston Creme whatever, baked it in a pie tin, so that’s why he called it a pie.

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8-years of dessert ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Giant Popcorn, extra butter and salt, a coke for Mom, a thermos of something for Dad, a baggie of home-packed candies for us kids.

My brother and I, in our jammies, loved playing on the playground—with one eye on the cartoons barely visible in the dusk.

Our parents picked the movies. They did not expect us to watch the movies. (After all, in the summer it didn’t get dark until way past our bedtimes.) They expected we’d last through the previews, and the cartoons (drive-in movies always started with a cartoon or two.) That’s why we went to the drive-in in our jammies. Nighty-night kiddos.

Hello “Illustrated Man.”

Hello memories seared into my brain. (Maybe the one time I didn’t fall immediately asleep.). Dang it was freaky.

Hello Ray Bradbury!

Ray Bradbury published more than 30 books and 600 short stories in his lifetime, Illustrated Man being one; Fahrenheit 451 being most banned . (He passed in 2012). Even now his books are edgy, funny, timely, infinitely readable and relatable.

And get this: Ray Bradbury, NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE!

That Inspires Me! (read on)

"I’ve never worked a day in my life. I’ve never worked a day in my life. The joy of writing has propelled me from day to day and year to year. I want you to envy me, my joy. Get out of here tonight and say: ‘Am I being joyful?’ And if you’ve got a writer’s block, you can cure it this evening by stopping whatever you’re writing and doing something else. You picked the wrong subject.” — Ray Bradbury at The Sixth Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, 2001

Postscript: After this blog post published, I received the following note from Kevin Kane, an author, playwright, musician—baseball historian etc. etc. whose life reads like adventure. Bradbury fans read on:

If you don’t have a physical dictionary (Borrow a library copy or Go buy one!!! You should have one!!!), you can use a website such as m-w.com or dictionary.com and look for a list of words of the day.

Poetry Challenge #109

Dictionary Roulette

One of my favorite prompts when I get stuck with any writing is to take a dictionary, open to a random page, and write down the first word I see. Sometimes I roll three dice and open to that page. Sometimes I have someone pick a number between 1 and 948 (the number of pages in my favorite dictionary) and then another number between 1 and 68 (the average number of words on the two pages) and I find my word that way.

Using the Close-Your-Eyes-and-Point method, Roll-the-Dice method, Pick-A-Number method, find 5 words. Write a 5-line poem using all 5 words.

Pick 5 Words

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge almost 8 days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one is Cindy’s.) If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Where have all the teddys gone?/Long time passing./Where have all the teddys gone/mums have tossed them, everyone….

Pete Seeger, forgive me for riffing off your heartful song, but it’s true. I can not recall the last time I saw a kiddle cuddling a teddy.

How many of us had a favorite Teddy—by “Teddy” I mean that bunny, stuffie, blankie, lovie, bear or otherwise you loved as a child? Mine was named “Noy-Noy.” All these years later I still recall times when it seemed Noy-Noy was my only friend.

Likewise, how many of us recall being teased about that beloved Teddy? Or having been shamed into leaving it behind? Bernard Waber’s Ira Sleeps Over immediately comes to mind.

For that matter, how many of us have discarded, lost, ignored, stuffed into a box, closet, attic, under the bed . . .  that beloved Teddy?

Poetry Challenge #108

This One’s for Teddy!

Climb into your attic (metaphoric or otherwise) take out your beloved Teddy, dust it off and give it a big hug—in the form of a poem.

Begin by taking a moment to recall your Teddy (substitute the appropriate moniker).

What does it look like? What did it feel like? And more, what did holding it make you feel?

Did you and your Teddy go on adventures together?

Can you think of a recent time you wish you had Teddy?

Drawing on these moments, write Teddy a poem. Let your Teddy’s name be the title of the poem.

Give Your “Teddy” a mental (or real-time) hug

Set the timer for 7 Minutes

Start Writing!

Let’s Here it for Teddy Picture Book List:

Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

The Secrets of Ninja School by Deb Pilutti

41 Books with Stuffed Animals at Their Heart blog post

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge eons ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Lightning McQueen from Cars, Kit from Knight Rider, and Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit, are a few infamous ones.

The kids named my old Mom Minivan “Doris.” Doris didn’t mind one bit…in fact, I think our old van liked having a name, it made her feel like part of the family. (At least she never blew a gasket!)

Poetry Challenge #107

Baby, You Can Name Your Car!

Think about a car or other mode of transportation you use—EQUAL RIGHTS FOR BIKES!!!

Jot down some words that describe it. What’s its shape? color? size? Does it run well? Make any strange noises? Where does it like to go best? What might you name your car that makes you think of any/all of these things?

An ode is a poem of praise. Let’s write an ode to your car with these restrictions:

 First line: One word—maybe the brand of your car, the model, or just the word “car”.

Second line: Two words—two adjectives describing the car (color, size, # of doors, etc.)

Third line: Three words—What does your car do?

Fourth line: Two words—How does your car make you feel?

Fifth line: Your car’s name!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; get writing! VROOOOOOOOM!

Name Your Car Playlist:

Baby You Can Drive My Car by The Beatles

Baby You Can Drive My Car by The Beatles

Baby You Can Drive My Car by The Beatles (You get the idea.)

*Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge many moons ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. (This one was Cindy’s.) If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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This time of year, after months of dry heat and dry weather, I’m a lobster—literally

But in my mind, with my collar turned up and a towel wrapped around my head like a stiff beehive updo…

I’m Kate Pierson or Cindy Wilson of the B52’s

Guitar please: dur-dur-dur dah-dah duh-da-duh-duh Oooh-ahhhh….

Rock Lobster!

What comes to mind when you think of a lobster?

Is it the cola-guzzling lobster in Erin Moulton’s funny, heartful Tracing the Stars?

Diane Keaton’s  lobster scene from Annie Hall?

Pilgrimage to the world’s largest lobster?

Or, like me, a rockin’ red lobster?

Poetry Challenge #106

Lobster Day 

Drawing on that lobster experience (or one imagined), list seven words, one beginning with each letter of the word lobster.

Use that list to craft a  seven-line lobster poem.

In addition, the poem might include: a sound, a smell, a location, a texture, and the word “ruckus”.

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just get cracking!

* There is actually a National Lobster Day! (But why wait until Sept. 25th to celebrate?)

**Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more days ago that I can count. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Lighthouse Keepers inspire me. Think about it, they live, often on isolated islands, sometimes alone, with the full time mission of shining light. Light to guide. Light to reassure. Light to point the way.

Sally Snowman was the only female lighthouse keeper in the US. (I don’t know about now.) She had been the keeper of Boston Light, in Boston Harbor for 17 years when this photo was taken in 2020. (Read more about Sally in Natasha Frost’s Atlas Obsura article, click on the picture)—but not this second! Read on first!

Mary Ellen Sherlock is more “Light Keeper” than Lighthouse Keeper. She is a source of light. I first met her at a book fair—her table was across the aisle and down from mine. She glowed, her table of books all with stuffies beckoned, and pulled me and everyone else in. As I soon found out, Mary Ellen was glowing because she stuffed with ideas, interest, curiosity.

Mary Ellen’s curiosity, and wonder—and gumption—compels her to seek out creatives. To unearth their stories, and to share them. When the opportunity to host a podcast of her own was presented, Mary Ellen glowed.

Recently, about 20 episodes ago, Lighthouse Keepers Podcast, went live. Mary Ellen goal: “amplify stories of compassion, resilience, and service.” Here’s the mission: “Through heartfelt conversations, she spotlights the individuals and organizations working tirelessly to make the world a kinder, brighter place.”

The Lighthouse Keepers Podcast is on YouTube—Subscribe!

In December (hence the holly-jolly everywhere) I was delighted, and privileged to be one of her guests. What’s even more fun is that we filmed the session in A Book Place Boutique, with our buddy, Jocelyn (the owner, curator of this delightful so-much-more than a bookshop) looking on, laughing occasionally, ahem…

Keeping the light, shining the light, spotlighting service and kindness and joy—That’s Inspiring!

Happy Birthday! Every day is somebody’s birthday! Who do you know who has a birthday coming up soon?

If it’s YOU then, according to A.I. Astrology, you are:

The zodiac sign is Aquarius (♒︎), the Water-Bearer, an Air sign ruling from roughly January 20th to February 19th, known for being innovative, intellectual, humanitarian, independent, and sometimes rebellious

Poetry Challenge #105

Happy Birthday to You-Know-Who!!!!

Can you write a poem to that person telling them why they’re special or what they mean to you?

Work on it until every word is exactly the one you want.

Do you want your poem to rhyme?

Do you want it to have a certain number of syllables on a line?

Is it a list poem or a story? You get to decide.

You can even give it to the person as a birthday gift!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Wouldn’t be much of a birthday without a song. Here Goes: YOU SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY by the Beatles

 *Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 3200+days ago. We now take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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Not the whole song either. Just the part everybody knows. And I do mean EVERYBODY. Sing with me:

Purple rain, purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain

Purple rain, purple rain

Blah-blah blah-blah la-la la-la in the purple rain...

Oh my word, we must have watched that movie seventy times (back then HBO featured movies for a month). But I digress:

Poetry Challenge #104

Purple Rain

If Prince could do it—and create a classic and make zillions in the process, then we can too. In the inimitable style of Prince:

Choose one concrete noun (Rain for instance, but not rain).

Choose one color (purple is off limits).

Put them together in whichever order pleases you. Use those words to begin a poem.

If you are feeling lazy, copy the pattern of “Purple Rain” (then you’ll only have to invent that last line.)

Hopefully the two words you’ve chose will fire up your inner the rock star!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; do it! Rock OUT!

*And no it’s not his birthday. Prince Roger Nelson, aka “Prince” was born June 7, 1958, he died April 21, 2016. But his music lives on! 

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8 years ago. We take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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You know the saying, “Want something done? Ask a busy person to do it.” My writer-buddy-friend Jim Smolski is one of the busiest people I know. And one way “cool” dude (yep, that’s Jim with his long board back in the day. Get this, while he now lives in the Houston area, he hails from Long Island, just up island from me, now—same sand, same waves, same haircut my brother, Joe, wore.)

When Jim’s not constructing homes and woodworking—or maybe while he is—he’s crafting stories, poems, cartoons, and art. Impressive as that sounds (and exhausting) what Jim does in his “spare” time is what inspires me:

Driveway Art with “The Grandpa Man”

Some time back, a few neighborhood kids expressed interest in art Jim was making. Taking it as a sign, Jim invited them to give it a try.

It started with one table, a few children, and some art supplies…

The line of bikes and wagons kept growing as word of “Grandpa Man’s” Pop-up art classes spread. And get this, neighbors, watching the budding artists, have started donating funds and supplies to keep the classes going.

Jim never fails to try the weekly poetry-challenges. Here’s a recent one to kick off the new year. (Mind you this is less than 7-minutes poeming.) But it seasoned with a dash of Jim’s spirit!

 Glad Tidings

I resolved to break my record.

Make my resolution last.

I decided I would stay on course.

Not give up on them, so fast.

We do have good intentions.

Our plan is to improve. 

But life goes on and back we fall.

A needle in a groove.

I’ll find fortitude unmatched.

To escape from the misguidings.

My resolution for the year.

Is to wish you all glad tidings.

Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl). Here’s to being inspired, and inspiring others! Thanks, Jim!

Poetry Challenge #103

Back to Biz

Write a poem about the first day back . . . to whatever?

Work?

School?

Back after a lovely vacation?

First day back after a miserable one….

Are you excited/miserable/relieved? Does anything surprise you? What do you like best? Least? 

Try writing your poem in couplets—two lines that rhyme.

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge more than 8 years ago. We take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us in the 7-Minute Poetry Challenge let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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“Good tidings” I love that phrase. I always assumed “tidings” was some ye old sailor’s greeting, referring to the tides, as in, high tide, tide in, tide out…some cheery send off along the lines of “sail on my wayward son/they’ll be …”

I was wrong.

According to my Google AI Overview, tidings “comes from Old English tidung, meaning "an event, an occurrence, or a piece of news". It's linked to Old Norse tíðendi (events, news) and Germanic words for time, like German Zeitung (newspaper).”

Nothing whatsoever to do with the sea. I’ve been wrong about a lot of things. And that’s exactly what this prompt is all about! So read on my wayward friends:

Poetry Challenge #102

May Old Resolutions Be Forgot

At the beginning of the new year, we all make those resolutions—with the best of intentions. The most common resolutions people make are: exercise more, eat less, spend more time with family, get organized, save money, learn a new skill.

Forget whatever you have resolved every other year…wipe the slate clean.

Write a poem of glad tidings for the coming year which includes one resolution.

It can rhyme…or not.

It can be short…or not.

It must contain some positive, hopeful, seaworthy feeling! Onward!

Set the timer for 7 minutes.

Start writing!

Don’t think about it too much; just do it.

Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge over 8 New Years Days ago. We take turns creating our own prompts to share with you. If you join us by writing a poem, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.

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